Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)

The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) is a program provided by the Ontario Government that provides support to individuals with a proven disability who are in financial need. It is intended to meet the needs of people with disabilities and help them to become more independent. It has two parts: it provides financial assistance to people with disabilities and the Employment Supports portion of ODSP provides support for people with disabilities to obtain and keep a job. To meet the eligibility requirements, you must:

- Be a resident of Ontario

- Be over the age of 18

- Qualify financially

- Have a substantial physical and/or mental impairment which is expected to last at least 12 months or more.

- The impairment limits the person's ability to complete activities of daily living in at least one of the following areas: personal care, activities in the community or activities in the workplace.

How do you know if you qualify financially?

You may qualify if you:

- are single and have less than a total of $5,000 in cash, RRSP's or in insurance policies

- have a spouse or common law partner and have less than a total of $7,500 in cash, RRSP's or in insurance policies

If you fit in either of the these categories and have dependent children, you are allowed an additional $500 in assests for each child.

Here is a list of frequently asked questions that an ODSP office might ask you:

- How much money do you have in the bank?

- How much cash do you have?

- Do you have RRSPs?

- How much money do you make a week?

- How much do you pay for rent?

- Do you have an insurance policy?

- Do you own your own home?

- Do you have an OSAP student loan?

- Are you collecting Old Age Security?

- Are you collecting Employment Insurance?

- Are you collecting Canada Pension/Quebec Pension Plan?

Where do you apply for ODSP?

The initial step in applying for ODSP involves setting up an appointment at your local ODSP office, which can be done in person or over the phone. To find the address and phone number of the ODSP office nearest to you, please call 1-888-789-4199 or please visit the Government of Ontario website www.gov.on.ca

Once your appointment is made, the office will provide you with a list of documents that you need to bring to the appointment, such as Social Insurance Number, OHIP Number, proof of birth date, immigration status, records of bank statements, and proof of expenses (e.g. rent receipts, school and employment activities). If you require special help, (a sign language interpreter, large print forms etc.) please inform the office while booking an appointment so that the necessary resources will be made available to you. Your appointment will take about 1 ½ hours and your financial status will be reviewed in detail.

If you qualify financially, you will be given a package of 4 forms to fill out. This package is called the Disability Determination Package (DDP). The 4 forms are:

1. Health Status Report - This form must be filled out by a doctor.

2. Activities of Daily Living Report - There is a list on the front of the Activities of Daily Living Report form that will tell you who is able to fill this out.

3. A Medical Consent Form - You must sign this form so that your doctor or medical professional has your permission to release medical information to the ODSP office.

4. A Self Report - This is your chance to tell ODSP, in your words, what it is like to live with your disability. Please note: you do not have to fill out this form but ODSP would like to hear what you have to say!

With the help from the CF team, the ODSP package should be completed within 90 days of receiving the package. The completed forms are to be mailed to the Disability Adjudication Unit, where a decision will be made if you qualify and mailed to you in writing.

Ministry of Community and Social ServicesOntario Disability Support ProgramDisability Adjudication UnitBox B18Toronto, Ontario M7A 1R3

A qualified person should expect...

When you have been qualified and accepted for Ontario Disability Support Program, you will be entitled to a Drug card. This will allow you access to medications that are on the Ontario Drug Benefits (ODB) formulary.

How much money could you get from ODSP? Well that depends on your situation!

- You could get as much as $ 930 per month if you are single.

- You may get as much as $1417 per month for a family of two.

ODSP Employment Support

This is completely voluntary but it is meant to help people with disabilities prepare for, find, and maintain employment.